The 2026 NFL Draft has come and gone, with the team drafting and signing free agents over the past few days. While there will most likely be a move or two made before training camp starts to put the team at the 90-player cap, it’s never too early to try to guess what the team will look like when it’s down to the final 53. What the roster looks like now compared to then will be different, and some surprises could happen along the way.
Before the draft, the Lions had 69 players on their roster, so the 16 additions made bring competition to the roster of 85 players. OTAs and minicamp are a few weeks away, so we’ll get an early look at the team here soon. Training camp will do a lot of the heavy lifting in separating who is where, but for now, let me take a shot at who makes the team and who doesn’t.
The Lions are comfortable with who they have at quarterback. Altmyer will be the preseason quarterback to play with Bridgewater and have a chance to show his stuff for the other 31 teams or make a case for the Lions’ practice squad. Detroit doesn’t need to carry three quarterbacks right now.
Jahmyr GibbsIsiah PachecoSione VakiJacob SaylorsKyle RobichauxJabari Small
Life without David Montgomery leaves question marks at the depth behind Jahmyr Gibbs. Isiah Pacheco is the team’s power back, but the rest is up in the air. Sione Vaki is in year three, and after an injury-filled 2025, he isn’t a lock to be RB3 anymore. Could Jacob Saylors uproot Vaki as the third-string option? I don’t think so, and with the moves made in the draft, I think Saylors’ backup plan of being a kick returner might be cut short.
Amon-Ra St. BrownJameson WilliamsIsaac TeSlaaGreg DortchDominic LovettKendrick LawMalik CunninghamTom KennedyJackson Meeks
The obvious starters are Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, with Isaac TeSlaa moving up the depth chart now that the team has moved on from Kalif Raymond. I expect TeSlaa to have a bigger sophomore season to solidify his place as the third option in the room.
The real questions happen behind those three, and I believe Greg Dortch is the Raymond replacement, but he should shine more in special teams than on offense. With TeSlaa improving and seeing more playing time, I think Dortch will have a smaller role than Raymond did on offense. That means the battle for WR5 is between second-year receiver Dominic Lovett, fifth-round pick Kendrick Law, and a few others. Lovett could miss the cut here due to Dortch taking over punt return capabilities and Law returning kicks, but I think the team sees potential in Lovett being WR4 in 2027.
Sam LaPortaBrock WrightTyler ConklinMiles KitselmanThomas GordonZach Horton
In his final year under his current contract, tight end Sam LaPorta returns from his back injury last year. I don’t think he has a chance to lose his starting role, as the only way he doesn’t start for the Lions in 2026 is if he’s traded, which I don’t think happens. The depth behind him is as strong as it’s ever been. I think at the beginning of training camp, Brock Wright will be the backup, but by the season’s end, he could move down to TE3 behind newly signed Tyler Conklin.
While it would make sense for this team to keep four tight ends if they are going to use the 13 personnel, I think they’ll rock with just those three to start until someone gets hurt.
Penei SewellBlake MillerLarry BoromGiovanni ManuDevin Cochran
With the team drafting Blake Miller, it’s clear they see him competing for a starting job with Larry Borom at right tackle. The job won’t be handed to Miller, and the team won’t be afraid to start Borom over him if he doesn’t win the job. I think Miller will win the starting job, Penei Sewell will move to left tackle, and Borom will be the team’s new OT3.
That leaves one to wonder what will happen at OT4. Can Giovanni Manu win that spot? Could he lose to Devin Cochran or someone else? Do the Lions even keep four tackles?
I think they should keep four tackles, and Manu wins beats out the competition to be OT4. The Lions are invested in Manu, and I think they’ll give him the full four years of his contract to prove that he could at least be the team’s OT3 long term. If he doesn’t improve after this season, he’s got a long road ahead in 2027.
Tate RatledgeChristian MahoganyMiles FrazierBen BartchMelvin PriestlyMason MillerColby SorsdalMichael Niese
The Lions will stick with both Tate Ratledge and Christian Mahogany as their starting guards for 2026. Ratledge had a solid rookie season, and while Mahogany appeared to step back, he was injured in the back half of the year, impacting his play. I think Mahogany can rebound, and the team will give him another shot at being the starter before they look elsewhere.
The depth at guard is tough to predict at how it will play out for the most part. I believe Miles Frazier has the best chance out of anyone to uproot Mahogany at left guard. Behind Frazier is a blood bath. There isn’t a clear-cut option for the fourth spot, and in the end, I went with Ben Bartch. Michael Niese has a chance to win this spot, but I don’t see Mason Miller, Melvin Priestly, or Colby Sorsdal sticking around. Sorsdal has had years to develop into a depth option, but I think it’s time for the team to move on from him overall.
Out of all the offensive line spots, this one was the most obvious. The team signed Cade Mays to be their starting center, and he has little competition for that spot. The only people who could take his spot are Juice Scruggs and Seth McLaughlin. I believe the Lions see something in Scruggs, or else they wouldn’t have traded for him in the Montgomery move. To me, an experienced center should have no issue beating out an inexperienced one; Scruggs easily wins the backup job.
Aidan HutchinsonDJ WonnumDerrick MooreAhmed HassannienTyre WestAnthony LucasEric O’NeillTyler LacyPayton Turner